Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Scenarios for a post-Khamenei Iran The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli air strikes on Saturday has created enormous uncertainty about Iran’s political future, but the path that Iran takes will have... 2nd March 2026 · 8 mins read
Commodities Update Five Key Questions on the Strait of Hormuz Following the effective “closure” of the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of renewed conflict in the Middle East, this Update answers five key questions about the potential impacts on global energy... 2nd March 2026 · 6 mins read
Global Economics Update The consequences of the Middle East conflict The global economic impact of conflict in the Middle East will hinge on its effect on energy markets. If oil stays near $70-$80 per barrel, DM inflation will be only about 0.2-0.3 percentage points... 2nd March 2026 · 8 mins read
Global Economics Update How the new tariff backdrop affects Canada & Mexico In this Update, we answer some of the questions we have received on how the new US tariff regime (see here ) will impact Canada and Mexico. The big picture is that Canada and Mexico’s weighted-average... 25th February 2026 · 4 mins read
Global Economics Update Questions & answers on the new US tariff regime The imposition of a 10% Section 122 tariff on all countries leaves the weighted-average US tariff rate about 3.5%-points lower than was the case under the IEEPA framework, although the difference will... 23rd February 2026 (Updated 24th February 2026) · 8 mins read
Global Economics Update World trade to beat consensus expectations (again) World goods trade grew by about 4.5% in 2025 – its highest rate since 2011, except for the pandemic rebound in 2021. And we expect it to expand by a consensus-beating 2.5% or so this year. Alongside... 18th February 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Update Can China’s trade surplus rise further? China’s goods trade surplus can’t increase indefinitely. But there’s little sign that policy shifts – either within China or in its trading partners – will prevent the surplus from widening in the... 12th February 2026 · 5 mins read
Commodities Update Six key questions about the sell-off in precious metals We recently hosted a Drop-In on the sell-off in gold and other precious metals. This Update answers six key questions on topics such as the role of leverage in driving prices, the macroeconomic and... 3rd February 2026 · 4 mins read
India Economics Update India-US trade deal: economic and geopolitical ramifications The 18% tariff that President Trump has announced will be applied to imports from India – down from 50% – would significantly boost India’s attractiveness as an alternative manufacturing hub to China... 2nd February 2026 · 3 mins read
US Economics Update Warsh's QT wouldn't enable US rate cuts The idea that the Fed could pave the way for much lower policy rates by shrinking its balance sheet is unconvincing. Balance sheet reduction is a blunt tool for tightening financial conditions, and... 2nd February 2026 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What if the US strikes Iran (again)? The build-up of US military forces in the Middle East has led to growing concerns about an attack on Iran and has pushed up oil prices. In light of these developments, we are re-sending this... 29th January 2026 · 4 mins read
Global Economics Update The macro implications of a weaker dollar Our base case is that the recent bout of weakness in the US dollar will reverse. If it remains at its current level, the direct macro impact is likely to be small for most countries, especially... 28th January 2026 · 6 mins read
Global Economics Update Major central banks out of sync in 2026 Since December, investors’ year-end interest rate expectations have moved towards our own end-2026 policy rate forecasts for all major advanced economies. We think there is a bit further to go before... 22nd January 2026 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Update Why is services inflation stickier in Europe than the US? Given comparatively weak economic conditions, it might seem surprising that services inflation has been stickier in Europe than in the US in recent months. But much of this reflects the delayed... 21st January 2026 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Update Your questions about tensions over Greenland We hosted an online Drop-In session today to discuss escalating tensions over Greenland and their economic implications. (Recording available here.) This Update provides answers to some of the... 19th January 2026 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Update World trade to continue to benefit from AI demand The latest data suggest that global trade continues to expand at a healthy pace, driven by strong growth in Asia. Although the annual rate of expansion will moderate next year as the effects of tariff... 9th January 2026 · 4 mins read
